Widened knitted fabric.



F. W|LCOMB.. WIDENED KNITTED FABRIC. APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. Isle.

'Pg tented Mar. 12, 1918 Inaenfm-n mm ma -051w,

lawn snares a rn r ante.

FRANK WILCOMB, 0F NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE TO WILDMAN MFG. (30., 0F NOBRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

WIDENED KNITTED FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. as, more.

Application filed July 6, 1916. Serial No. 107,842.

To all whomct may concern. I

Be it known that 1, FRANK WILCOMB, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented It also includes a knitted fabric of bag.

like form, suitable for instance for making incandescent mantles, having a tubular portion and a rounded or tapered bottom portion, one of said portions forming a knitted continuation of the other. In its broader aspect the invention consists in a fabric knitted in substantially circular form and widened by the introduction of additional wales of stitches at different distances from the center of the fabric, said Wales being substantially radially disposed.

Further the invention consists in the method of making the fabric. By my method articles can be produced adapted for varioususes, such as ags, toboggan caps, tidies, mats, doilies and the like.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the fabric in the nature of a diagram, it being understood that it is difficult to illustrate the fabric as it actually is and dependence must be had for a clear understanding of the invention upon the following description taken in connection with the diagrams constituting the views of the drawings.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic outline of a complete article adapted for use, for instance as an incandescent mantle having a tubular knitted portion and a bottom part knitted continuously therewith. I Figs. 3 to 13 illustrate difierent steps in the method of knitting.

Fig. 14 is a diagram of the disposition of the needles.

In startingthe fabric two or more needles can be used and this description refers to starting with two needles. However, the number of needles used inthe beginning is not important, providing a small number are used, which will permit of crossing and recrossing the yarn used in the initial courses, so that thereis no hole large enough to be objectionable. If two needles are used (or even a single needle) the yarn is wrapped around the two needles, which are close together and then two needles at right angles are brought into action thereby crossing the courses. Another illustration would be, starting with say five needles and crossing the yarn making a 5 pointed figure and from there on the successive step would correspond to the description herein based on two needles in the initial operation.

In starting the fabric, with two needles as mentioned above standing vertically with their backs close together as at 1, 2, Fig. 3; with these two needles I knit one or more stitches on each needle from the same yarn alternately on one needle and then on the opposite needle. These two needles are now made inoperative by retiring them vertically, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4

and while these retired needles hold their stitches, two other needles 3, 4, Fig. 4, one on either side of the stitches just made, and in a plane at right angles to the plane in which the needles 1 and 2 lie are brought into action and one or two stitches on each of these needles are knit. I I

We now have the threads from these op positely placed needles 3, 4 crossing the threads between the needles 1, 2 first mentioned, the saidthreads crossing each other at right angles as indicated in the diagram.

1 now bring into action the two needles 1, 2, previously retired and make, say two rounds of knitting with the four needles all in action, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5 by the circles a.

I now retract radially the four needles thus far mentioned in a direction away from tween the first four needles mentioned, making eight needles in the .circle, see Fig. 6.

The four needles 1, 2, 3 and 4 first mentioned having stitcheson them are retired, as indicated in dottedlines Fig. 7, and one course of knitting is made on-the four new needles 5, 6, 7 and 8 just introduced. These four needles in turn are retired, as indicated in dotted lines Fig. 8, and the oppositefour needles 1, 4, 2, 3 which already have loops. on them are brought into action, as indicated in full lines in said figure and one course of knitting is made on them. The entire eight needles are then made operative, in'making three or more rounds of knitting, as indicated diagrammatically by the circles Z) in Fig. 9. These eight needles are then retracted radially away from the center of the machine and the fabric thus far knit, a distance sufficient to allow the introduction of eight additional needles 9, 10, ll, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

I These new needles lying in the spaces between the eight needles thus far mentioned, see Fig. 10, all of the old needles, eight in number having loops on them are retired as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 11 and one course of yarn is laid and stitches made on these eight new needles 9 to 16 just brought into action. These needles in turn are retired, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig.

12, and the alternate eight needles 1 to 8 are" brought into action for one course, after which the entire sixteen needles are made active to knit as many courses as desired, as indicated in Fig. 13 diagrammatically by the circles 0 when the entire sixteen needles are -retracted radially away from the center of the machine and fabric, until there is room between each two of these needles for the introduction of an additional needle in the spaces between the sixteen needles making thirty-two needles in the circle, when the order of knitting is continued as previously recited by the/radial retraction of needles in the, row and the introduction of new needles between each two needles retracted until the diameter of the needle row of the machine is as large as desired, at which time a substantially flat circular fabric has been knitted or a pocket form of fabric has been knitted, depending on the number of courses knitted between the widenings.

If it is desired to prodifce a bag-form of fabric it is only necessary to continue knittingwith the full row of needles, when this has been established by introducing new needles, and without the introduction of any additional needles until a tube is knitted of any desired length and the end where knitting was started is closed, or substantially closed, like a bag.

The purpose of the crossing of the threads due to the retirement of alternate needles and then knitting on the remaining needles, and reversing the order by retiring those needles which have been active and rendering the others active, is to close the small eyelets or openings resulting from the introduction of a new needle between two needles having stitches upon them, all of which is well understood by skilled knitters.

These holes or eyelets may be closed by several arrangements of the .stiches 0n the alternate needles, by tucking for illustration, but the system I have described accomplishes the'result in a satisfactory and simple manner.

Briefly stated my fabric is roduced by starting with a small number 0 needles and increasing the diameter of the fabric by the the reeasae of bag-form, such for instance as is suitable for incandescent mantles, free from puckers,

folds or knots at the bottom .or closed end of the mantle.

It will be understood that the fabric may be knit with an opening in the center and thecompleted article may be in the form of a tube having its lower end of bag-form or tapering, it being diminished progressively in diameter to form this taper by a reduction of the number of needle wales, to any desired small diameter, leaving a the part of smallest diameter should it be desired to complete the fabric without closing it entirely or forming a complete closure.

At the right of Fig. 1 the position of the needles is illustrated diagrammatically and it will be observed that whether the needle circle be large or small the distance between the needles measured circumferentially is preserved. s

The diagram Fig. 14 shows the radial positions of sixty-four needles preparatory to starting a new fabric. The lines reaching from the circles as outward indicate the directions in which the needles are radially retracted and the small circular dots represent the needles. The circles or at the inner termination of the lines are the extreme inward positions for the needles when a new fabric is about to be started.

This diagram shows sixty-four needles but other numbers of needles may be used, for illustration the fabric may be started with five needles and at the first widening operation introducing five additional needles and at the next widening ten additional needles, then twenty, then forty, then eighty and so on.

ll claim as my invention 1. A widened knit fabric begining at the center with few stitches and having divergent wales, said wales being of different lengths and starting at different distances from the center, the courses of knitting being circular, substantially as described.

2. A widened knit fabric beginning at the center with few stitches and having divergent wales, said wales being of difi'erent lengths and starting at different distances from the center, the courses of knitting bemg circular, and a tubular extension on said lggned fabri a d i continuously there- Wl v hole at i 3. A widened knit fabric beginning at or near the center with few wales, other wales beginning at different distances from the center, each set of wales of one length alternating in position with longer wales, all of the wales being divergent, substantially as described.

t. A widened knit fabric beginning at or near the center with few wales, other wales beginning at different distances from the center, each set of wales of one length alternating in position with longer wales, all of the wales being divergent, and a tubular extension on said widened fabric having its wales continuous with those of the widened fabric, substantially as described.

5. A knitted fabric of tubular form having a substantially tapered extension, the wales of said tubular knitted fabric continuing along the tapered extension and terminating at diflerent distances in alternation from the center line of the tube, substantially as described.

6. A widened knit fabric having wales beginning substantially in alternation at different distances from a central point or line and diverging from each other, some of the circular courses of said fabric having their sinker loops crossing the planes of the adjacent needle wale, substantially as described.

7. A widened knit fabric having wales beginning substantially in alternation at different distances from a center line or point and diverging from each other, the sinker loops of some of the circular courses extending between adjacent wales and the sinker loops of other courses extending from one wale across adjacent wales to a needle wale beyond. the same, substantially as described.

8. A widened'knit fabric having radiating wales beginning substantially in alternation at different distances from a center line or point and diverging from each other, the sinker loops of some of the circular courses being floated across adjacent wales, and alternating in position with other sinker loops floated across the needle wales of the sinker loopsfirst mentioned, substantially as described.

9. A widened knit fabric having radiating wales beginning substantially in alternation at diiferent distances from-a central point or line and diverging from each other, and having means to close the eyelets which would otherwise occur at the points where the shorter wales begin, substantially as described. 1

10. The hereindescribed method of knitting a widened fabric with a continuous thread, consisting in knitting a number of stitches capable of making a circular course,

retracting the stitches radially outward, knitting other stitches in the same wales as those previously knitted together with new stitches in between the retracted stitches to form a new course, or courses, of a larger diameter'than those previously knitted and having an increased number of stitches therein, and, if desired, repeating the action of retracting the stitches of the last course radially outward, and knitting an enlarged course, or courses, made up of stitches, in the same wales with those of the retracted stitches and with new stitches in between,

forming the beginning of new wales, subradially outward, and knitting an enlarged course, or courses, made up of stitches in the same wales with those of the retracted stitches and with new stitches in between, forming the beginning of new wales, and. when the fabric has been widened to the de-. sired diameter continuing the formation of stitches in all the wales to form a tube.

12. The hereindescribed method of making a widened fabric consisting in knitting alternate stitches of a course,- holding said stitches. and knitting the other stitches of said course intermediate those first mentioned, then knitting a full course, or courses, by the formation of stitches in succession in the wales of the alternate stitches and intermediate stitches of the course first I mentioned, then retracting the stitches of,

the full course radially outward and knitting stitches for startingnew wales in between said retracted stitches while holding the latter, then knitting stitches in the'wales of the retracted stitches, while the intermediate stitches which start the new wales are held, and then knitting a course, or courses,

by the formation of stitches successively in all the wales, substantially as described.

. .13. The hereindescribed process of knitwidencd fabric with a continuous ting a thread, consisting in starting the knitting with a few stitches, or a minimum number of stitches, retracting said stitches radially too outward and,1while holding the same, introducing into the spaces afl'orded between the retracted stitches other stitches, holding these new stitches and knitting stitches in the wales of the old stitches, then making stitches in the wales of all the stitches new and old, and, if desired, repeating the op: eration above mentloned of making new stitches to start new wales, then making stitches in the old wales While the new stitches are held and then making a course, or courses, the stitches of which are in both the old and new wales, substantially as described.

14. The hereindescribed process of knitting, consisting in starting the knitting with a few stitches, then retracting the stitches radially outward, and While holding the old stitches, introducing into the spaces thus afiorded between the old stitches other stitches to start new wales and increase the diameter of the courses, then holding the naeaeee ture.

FRANK WILCUMB.

substantially 

